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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · plane · coach · calf · arm · spell · row · swing

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. field — for sport
  3. spell — letters
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spell — a short time
  11. swing — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — to paddle
  15. field — farmland
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. field — a subject
  21. swing — in golf
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com